Nature Insight: DNA replication and repair

Nature‘s most recent “Insight” section is devoted to DNA replication, damage, and repair. The editorial introduction to the section focuses on aging as a major motivation for investigating these phenomena (Link):

Organisms need to preserve genetic information to prevent the detrimental effects of ageing and disease. This is achieved by accurate replication of DNA and by repair of any damage incurred as a consequence of endogenous or exogenous factors. Researchers are now uncovering exciting details about DNA replication and repair. These processes are proving to be highly interconnected, and new insights could lead to treatments for various diseases and age-related disorders.

There are four excellent reviews in the section. The first one on the list is the one that initially caught my biogerontological interest, but as recent findings in the field indicate, many aspects of the care and maintenance of our genetic material are relevant to the biology of aging.